iPad Pro Is the iPad Pro a niche product?

[Isengardtom]

What kind of logic is that?
The one that's a joy to use has no value? Huh? You pay to have a better/more enjoyable experience!

In terms of increased value in software mostly.

The biggest value increases are hardware related things like promotion refresh rate, quad speakers, laminated screen, XDR Display, RAM. But the actual use case difference is rather limited.

If you compare that with samsung's line-up you get : Dex, pen support, longer OS upgrade support,... on top of the hardware improvements, with also a much bigger difference in chip performance

Basically an iPad 9 can do (nearly) the same things as an iPad Pro 12.9" but a Samsung A8 is far more limited than a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 ultra

 

[ericwn]

I’m guessing that maybe 20% buy an iPad Pro, but what does it matter? “Pro” is a marketing term that essentially means slightly better. MacOS offers the same features for all Macs and the same is largely the case for iOS / iPadOS too.

And I don’t think that macOS is where iPadOS is headed, regardless of what chips are inside.

 

[snipr125]

The iPad Pro models probably are considered 'Niche', as they provide the most luxurious iPad experience, but for a price that not everyone is prepared to pay, especially when the base iPad and iPad Air can provide the same core experience at a lower price. But options are are good thing, and so its good that Apple offers these 3 iPad lines to suit peoples budgets. If people really want Pro-motion, quad speakers, Mini LED screens etc and are prepared to pay £750+ for it, then they have that option available to them.

 

[Isengardtom]

I’m guessing that maybe 20% buy an iPad Pro, but what does it matter? “Pro” is a marketing term that essentially means slightly better. MacOS offers the same features for all Macs and the same is largely the case for iOS / iPadOS too.

And I don’t think that macOS is where iPadOS is headed, regardless of what chips are inside.

That's true but you do need the more powerful chips in Macs to take advantage of some professional software. That's currently not really the case with iPads.

(Although the base M1 Macs are definitely delivering above their weight class compared with previous intel chips)

 

[spiderman0616]

Yeah. I have plenty of co-workers who bought new laptops so they could work from home when the lockdowns started.

A lot of folks seem to be happy just using their phones. Personally, I find the screens too small. I find even the iPad mini is oftentimes too small for my liking.

I'm actually 100% with you on that. I don't like having just my phone and whatever work gives me for a computer. My wife has worked that way for years and doesn't own an iPad or personal laptop. Her iPhone (and accessories like Apple Watch and AirPods) and her 10 year old MacBook Air from work are really all she wants.

 

[rui no onna]

This was my exact thinking when I bought my 7th gen, that if I could get three good years out of it, I'd be satisfied. Given I paid $219 for it, I have zero complaints!

Had a similar thought process when I bought the 2018 iPad 6th gen for family. Chipsets were still improving rapidly back then so I figured it’s better to just pocket the difference for a future upgrade. Besides, higher end models still had just 4GB RAM which I figured wouldn’t be enough in 5 years time.

Nowadays, I consider the Air 5/discounted Pro 11 worth the splurge even for the lighter users in our household (sufficient headroom for longer useful life).

 

[TopToffee]

Unlike the Mac, the more money you spend on iPads the less value you get in return.

I'd challenge that premise.

The M1 MacBook Air is the best value Mac in the range for 99% of people. Incredible little machine.

 

[spiderman0616]

I'd challenge that premise.

The M1 MacBook Air is the best value Mac in the range for 99% of people. Incredible little machine.

I second that. It's the best value in a laptop I think I've ever seen. The speed, power, and battery life are insane.

 

[prospervic]

It’s important to remember that the base model iPads don’t have a laminated display, which renders them virtually unusable outside as the mirror-like reflectivity makes it nearly impossible to see what’s on the screen. Unless you never take iPad out-of-doors (or only do so on cloudy days) it’s well worth it to step up to at least the Air (if not the Pro).

 

[ozapple]

It’s important to remember that the base model iPads don’t have a laminated display

Or ProMotion. This is a game-changer. If you are doing any sort of extended work (or even reading/scrolling), 120hz is simply in another world when it comes to easiness on the eyes.

I used a relatives Air 4 the other day and had to put it down after a couple of minutes. The blur and stutter compared to my 11” pro was horrible.

I’d qualify that by saying if you’ve only ever used a 60hz screen then you’d likely be ok, but I for one could never, ever go back. It really is that much better.

Same goes for the IP13 pro, I’m never going back to a regular 60hz screen there either.

 

[Mackilroy]

Or ProMotion. This is a game-changer. If you are doing any sort of extended work (or even reading/scrolling), 120hz is simply in another world when it comes to easiness on the eyes.

I used a relatives Air 4 the other day and had to put it down after a couple of minutes. The blur and stutter compared to my 11” pro was horrible.

I’d qualify that by saying if you’ve only ever used a 60hz screen then you’d likely be ok, but I for one could never, ever go back. It really is that much better.

Same goes for the IP13 pro, I’m never going back to a regular 60hz screen there either.

I’m curious about this, as I switch between 60-120Hz displays regularly. I definitely notice the smoothness on my
iPad, but the 60Hz screens don’t bother me.

 

[rui no onna]

I’m curious about this, as I switch between 60-120Hz displays regularly. I definitely notice the smoothness on my
iPad, but the 60Hz screens don’t bother me.

Same. As long as I don’t use ProMotion devices exclusively for maybe 2 weeks or longer, it’s easy for me to switch back and forth.

Even when I get spoiled by ProMotion, I can acclimate to 60Hz again after a transition period.

 

[ozapple]

I definitely notice the smoothness on my
iPad, but the 60Hz screens don’t bother me.

Even when I get spoiled by ProMotion, I can acclimate to 60Hz again after a transition period.

Perhaps it’s my eyes and perception of it. But I certainly notice the difference to the extent outlined in my post above.

I just find 120hz far far easier to live with than 60hz.

 

[sparksd]

Perhaps it’s my eyes and perception of it. But I certainly notice the difference to the extent outlined in my post above.

I just find 120hz far far easier to live with than 60hz.

It's like the Mini 6 jelly scroll - some people are more sensitive to it than others. I don't really notice these.

 

[Homme]

Or ProMotion. This is a game-changer. If you are doing any sort of extended work (or even reading/scrolling), 120hz is simply in another world when it comes to easiness on the eyes.

I used a relatives Air 4 the other day and had to put it down after a couple of minutes. The blur and stutter compared to my 11” pro was horrible.

I’d qualify that by saying if you’ve only ever used a 60hz screen then you’d likely be ok, but I for one could never, ever go back. It really is that much better.

Same goes for the IP13 pro, I’m never going back to a regular 60hz screen there either.

I agree. Though 60hz on the Mini isn’t too bad for a small device, even iPhones with 60hz isn’t too bad

But for bigger screens like the Airs I definitely agree

 

[SoYoung]

If you use your iPad for more than reading or browsing the web, the pro models are a joy to use. Great speakers, 16gb of ram, better screen, pro motion, more storage… all of those things are awesome and it’s worth it for me. My m1 pro replace a laptop completely for what I need and it’s even more portable.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think the Pro line of any Apple product is more niche than the standard offerings. They will appeal to less people simply because they cost that bit more. Personally I don’t really need a pro iPad or pro iPhone as the standard devices are good enough for me. I’d imagine that philosophy is followed by a lot of core consumers, and especially as these devices are creeping up in cost all the time.

 

[slplss]

Is the iPad Pro a niche product?​

100% it is. It has specific uses and they’re not without their own limitations. Everything basic iPad does, Pro does it better so there is one question everyone has to ask themselves: is it worth it? It is, for me. It’s a better entertainment device, better productivity device. Every day, you are looking at the better, larger screen, making it worth it.

iPadOS limits both devices. I found iPadOS also unreliable, copying large files from and to external storage can lead to irreversible file corruption. Once that happens, you can’t take it as a serious device to rely on. Still, I love the HDR capabilities of the device, the speakers, the smart connector making it 2in1 in a snap. Great for note taking, with pencil or keyboard.

As you said, basic iPad is 5/5 in value, especially considering the OS is identical in both. I’d give the Pro 2/5 in value if you plan to use it as productivity device, Mac does it better. But it is the best entertainment Apple device in its class, no doubt.
It would be 4/5 overall if I could edit, manage and export my video projects on it as I initially planned.

 

[spiderman0616]

100% it is. It has specific uses and they’re not without their own limitations. Everything basic iPad does, Pro does it better so there is one question everyone has to ask themselves: is it worth it? It is, for me. It’s a better entertainment device, better productivity device. Every day, you are looking at the better, larger screen, making it worth it.

iPadOS limits both devices. I found iPadOS also unreliable, copying large files from and to external storage can lead to irreversible file corruption. Once that happens, you can’t take it as a serious device to rely on. Still, I love the HDR capabilities of the device, the speakers, the smart connector making it 2in1 in a snap. Great for note taking, with pencil or keyboard.

As you said, basic iPad is 5/5 in value, especially considering the OS is identical in both. I’d give the Pro 2/5 in value if you plan to use it as productivity device, Mac does it better. But it is the best entertainment Apple device in its class, no doubt.
It would be 4/5 overall if I could edit, manage and export my video projects on it as I initially planned.

I think to someone who wants to be iPad only for all tasks, a fully decked out iPad Pro with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard is what I would recommend to that person IF they were sure all their workflows were possible in iPadOS. But that group of users is a pretty small sliver of the customer base. Add the other people that just want the biggest and/or nicest iPad there is (nothing wrong with that) and that's still just another sliver of the customer base. I'm not sure what exact number those slivers add up to, but the ARP on iPads still suggests that most people buy the base model that even still has a home button.

That's not to say this is a bad thing. The 12.9" iPad Pro is a tool that Apple knows is necessary in the lineup. If the sales weren't there to support that notion, they'd discontinue it, but there are plenty of people out there who can take full advantage of a device like this. Being niche doesn't need to have much to do with it--just be glad the option is there!

 

[slplss]

I think to someone who wants to be iPad only for all tasks, a fully decked out iPad Pro with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard is what I would recommend to that person IF they were sure all their workflows were possible in iPadOS. But that group of users is a pretty small sliver of the customer base. Add the other people that just want the biggest and/or nicest iPad there is (nothing wrong with that) and that's still just another sliver of the customer base. I'm not sure what exact number those slivers add up to, but the ARP on iPads still suggests that most people buy the base model that even still has a home button.

That's not to say this is a bad thing. The 12.9" iPad Pro is a tool that Apple knows is necessary in the lineup. If the sales weren't there to support that notion, they'd discontinue it, but there are plenty of people out there who can take full advantage of a device like this. Being niche doesn't need to have much to do with it--just be glad the option is there!

Yes, I think fit in the second group of people since I’m not getting the most from the device, I don’t draw on it (no talent), edit photos (rarely) or videos (I couldn’t get past of the internal/external storage limitations).
Having the 14" XDR MBP I’d think twice before getting it now. But it was my primary device for almost two semesters and feel I got for what I paid for. It will remain my primary tablet for at least 5 years. I just hope iPadOS separates more from iOS and becomes more of a MacOS optimised for touch.

 

[MarkC426]

Unlike the Mac, the more money you spend on iPads the less value you get in return.

This all depends on how you view it.....
I am still using my 1st gen IPad Pro, bought in 2016 (just over 6 years old now).
If I had bought a 'regular' iPad, it would have needed to be replaced years ago.

Considering my iPad NOW has the same ram (4gb) as the current iPad Air.

Edit: 2020 iPad had 4gb...

 

[rui no onna]

This all depends on how you view it.....
I am still using my 1st gen IPad Pro, bought in 2016 (just over 6 years old now).
If I had bought a 'regular' iPad, it would have needed to be replaced years ago.

Considering my iPad NOW has the same ram (4gb) as the current iPad Air.

Not anymore. Current iPad Air has M1+8GB.

I do agree about Pro models having longer useful life compared to regular iPads. Considering the regular iPads have 2-3 year old processors and around half the RAM of the Pros when they’re released, it’s just logical.

 

[spiderman0616]

Yes, I think fit in the second group of people since I’m not getting the most from the device, I don’t draw on it (no talent), edit photos (rarely) or videos (I couldn’t get past of the limitations).
Having the 14" XDR MBP I’d think twice before getting it now. But it was my primary device for almost two semesters and feel I got for what I paid for. I will be my primary tablet for at least 5 years.

M1 Macs changed the entire equation for me. I did some pretty time/resource-consuming video editing projects all on a 12.9" iPad Pro with LumaFusion a couple years ago and it turned out REALLY nice. I loved that I was able to get something so nice out of the iPad, especially because I was basically iPad-only back then and an intermediate-level video editor AT BEST.

But the only reason I had gone to an iPad Pro in place of a MacBook Pro in the first place was because the heat and noise of the MacBook Pro had started driving me nuts and costing me project time, not to mention making my end product look/sound worse in some instances. Apple Silicon in the Mac has made it so that all the tasks I moved over to the iPad due to (basically) Intel constraints can all be moved back over to the MacBook Pro where they can be fed the full power and resources I originally wanted them to have in macOS.

I still love iPads and just blew a lot of money I shouldn't have blown on a mini 6. The various iPad Pro models I have owned have all been amazing stand-ins for notebook computers as well, especially after the Magic Keyboard came out. But with the newest Macs, I get the best of both worlds.

 

[spiderman0616]

Not anymore. Current iPad Air has M1+8GB.

I do agree about Pro models having longer useful life compared to regular iPads. Considering the regular iPads have 2-3 year old processors and around half the RAM of the Pros when they’re released, it’s just logical.

I was just double checking on this very thing a couple days ago. I still haven't wrapped my mind around a non-Pro iPad having 8 GB of RAM.

 

[rui no onna]

I was just double checking on this very thing a couple days ago. I still haven't wrapped my mind around a non-Pro iPad having 8 GB of RAM.

To me, that was a very welcome announcement during the keynote. I don’t care overmuch for the M1. Unless the task is heavily multithreaded or GPU dependent, it’s not gonna be much faster than the A14 anyway. However, the 8GB RAM sure is nice.